Why does Morgan Island have monkeys?

During the summer of 1979, the rhesus monkey breeding colony of the La Parguera facility of the Caribbean Primate Research Center was shipped to Morgan Island, South Carolina. During six shipments in 1979, and three more in 1980, over 1400 animals were translocated.



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Since these monkeys prefer not to swim, they can't come back to land. Over the years, the island has been battered by storms, causing disrepair. “There's not a whole lot of protection from the weather,” said John Pricher, Citrus County tourist development director.

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The S.C. Department of Natural Resources owns Morgan Island, but the federal National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is responsible for the colony itself.

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As iconic as the islands' pristine beaches and tropical forests, the 60,000-plus green monkeys of St. Kitts and Nevis are a quintessential part of the Caribbean experience for many visitors. But while these photogenic mischief-makers might charm tourists, they pose serious threats to the twin-island Federation.

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